Marking machine



23, 9 c. F; ROBBINS ETAL 3 l MARKING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 5, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventors.- Charles E Robbins David E Pu'fnum Afiys.

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MARKING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 5, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.3,-

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Charles E Robbins David FIPuTncnm 3, 1943- "c. F. ROBBINS EI AL I ,3 053 I -MARKING 'MACHINE Original Filed Feb. .,5, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 David F. Putnfim W Mgw. v I 'yw l Patented Feb. 23, 1943 T Q? I QE MARKING MACHINE Charles F. Robbins and David F. PutnarmKeene, N. -H., assignors to Markem Machine Company, Keene, N. H., a corporation of New Hampshire Original application February 5, 1941', Serial No. 377,446. Divided and this application July 16, 1941, Serial No. 402,596

, 3 Claims. (Q1. 101-350) This invention relates to marking machines embodying a rotary type-carrying member on which a type element is mounted and particularly to the inking mechanism for supplying ink to the type elements.

We have herein shown our invention as embodied in a marking machine of that typ in which the printed impression is applied to the Work by a manually manipulated transfer roll which is separable from the other parts of the machine and which can be temporarily assembled with such other parts for the purpose of receiving an ink impression that is subsequently transferred to the work by the manual manipulation of the transfer roll.

A machine of this type is illustrated in our co-pending application, Serial No. 377,446, filed February '5, 1941, of which this is a division. The marking machine illustrated in said application comprises two rotary type-carrying members, each having a type element mounted thereon, means to give said type-carryingmembers a cyclic movement by which each 'type element "is moved through apath that begins and ends at the same point, an inking device for supplying ink to the type on each type-carrying member, a transfer roll rotatively mounted'in a holder therefor which is separable from the machine frame and is capable of being manually placed in the frame in an operative position in which it is so located as to receive an ink impression from the type elements as the type-carrying members are rotated, and means to rotate the transfer roll When it is in its operative position, thereby to provide a rolling contact between said roll and the type elements by which the'latter lay an ink impression on the transfer roll, said holder being capable of being manually removed from the frame and manually manipulated to transfer the ink impression thereon to the article to be marked.

Marking machines of this type are frequently used to make a two-color impression. This is done by using one color of ink for inking the type elements on one type-carrying member and another color of ink .for inking the type characterson the other type-carrying member.

The present invention relates to an inking device for thussupplying ink to the type members, and it has for one of its objects to provide a novel inking appliance in the form of an interchangeable unit comprising an ink reservoir and an inking roll operating therein, the interchangeability of the inking unit providing for the ready and replacing it by another inking unit containing inkof a different color.

In the marking machine illustrated insaid co-p'ending application, Serial No. 377,446; means 1: are provided for positively rotating 'theinking roll at the same surface speed as that of the type-carrying members, so that during the inking operation there will be-a rolling contact-free of slippage between the inking roll "and the type elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for driving the inking roll which is so constructed that when an inking unit is placed in the machine; the inking roll will be automatically coupled -toits -dri.ving mechanism without requiring any attention on the part of the operator.

Further objects of the invention :are to improv generally inking mechanism for marking machines of this type in the particulars hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein we have illustrated an embodiment of our invention,

Fig. l is a front view of an-offset markingmachine with which our improved inking appliance is used, the offset or transfer roll not being shown.

Fig. 2 is a view looking toward the right .of Fig. 1 with the casing removed and the transfer rollshown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 isasection on the line 33,;Fig...1,.showing the means for driving. the type-carrying members and the inking rolls.

Fig. 4- is a section on the line '4-4,.Fig. .2.

Fig. 5 is a section aon the line 55, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the transfer roll'and its holder.

The machine herein illustrated comprises two rotatable type-carrying .members .3 and A which are mounted on rotary shaits .6 and 1. These shafts are journaled. in the frame 8, and each shaft has a sprocket wheel .H thereon which meshes with .and is driven by an endlesssprocket chain 12, the sprocket wheel on the iowerzshait -1 notb'eing visible .in Fig. 1. This sprocket chain l2 isdriven from a shaft 43 through the medium of a one-revolution clutch indicated generally at 54, and the shaft 48 is connected by suitable gearing 53, 52 to ashaft 5| of .a-motor 49. The clutch 54 is provided with a driving sprocket wheel 41 which meshes with and :drives the sprocket chain I2, as-seen in Fig. 3.

The driving connections above referred to beremoval of either inking unit from the machine 55 tween the motor 49 and the sprocketv chain I2 are the same as those described in detail in our co-pending application, Serial No. 377,446, to which reference may be had.

Each rotary type-carrying member 3 and 4 carries on its periphery a type element, said type elements being indicated at 5 and 5a. Each type element is made so as to print a part only of the complete printed impression to be made.

The clutch device 54 is tripped by a trip lever 66 which is mounted on a rock shaft 63, the construction being such that when the trip lever 66 is depressed from its position, shown in Fig. 2, the clutch 54 will be engaged and the rotary type-carrying members 3 and 4 will each be given one complete rotation, said clutch element operating to bring said members to rest when each has completed its single rotation.

A separate inking device is provided for supplying ink to each of the type elements 5, 5a. Each inking device comprises an ink reservoir 33 which is open at one side and an inking roll 34 operating therein which is carried by a shaft 35, said shaft being journaled in ball bearings 36 which are carried by the reservoir 33 at the ends thereof. Each ink reservoir is supported on a stud 31 secured to the portion 8 of the machine frame, each reservoir having a boss I09 on its upper side through which stud 31 extends. The boss I09 for each ink reservoir carries a clamping screw 39 adapted to be clamped against the stud 31, thereby to lock the reservoir in its proper position.

As stated above, the inking roll 34 is positively driven with a surface speed the same as that of the type-carrying members 3 and 4. The means for rotating said inking roll will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The transferor offset roll which receives an ink impression from each of the type elements 5, 5a, and by which this ink impression is transferred to the work, is indicated at l3. This transfer roll is rotatably mounted in a holder |5 which is provided with two arms l6 by which the transfer roll is rotatably supported, and which is also provided with a handle I! by which it may be manually manipulated. The transfer roll, which may be of rubber or synthetic rubberlike material that will take a good ink impres sion, is mounted on a shaft M, the ends of which project through the arms I6 of the holder l5 and form trunnion portions l8. The frame of the machine is formed with two pairs of supporting arms 25, 25, the arms of each pair'forming between them an open-ended slot 21 into which the-trunnion portions l8 of the shaft |4 may be inserted, these two pairs of arms 25, 26 being spaced apart a proper distance to receive between them the forked portion l6 of the holder l5. The transfer roll is introduced into the machine to receive its ink impression by entering the trunnions IB into the open ends of the slots 2'1, and when the roll is in a position in which the trunnion portions I8 bottom against the inner end of the slots 21, then said roll will be in an operative position to receive an ink impression from'each of the type elements 5, and 50., when the type-carrying members are rotated.

. The machine is provided with means for posi-v tively rotating the transfer roll in synchronism with the type-carrying members 3 and 4 when the latter are rotated, and for this purpose, the trunnion portion |8 of the shaft l4 of the transfer roll I3 is provided with a wedge-shaped slot 32 which is adapted to receive. the wedge-shaped end 3| of a shaft 29 which is journaled in the frame 8 and is provided with a sprocket wheel 30 which meshes with and is driven by the sprocket chain I2.

When the machine has been brought to rest by the clutch 54 at the end of any operation, the shaft 29 will always be positioned with the narrow edge of the wedge 3| directed toward the open end of the slot 21.

When the machine is at rest, therefore, the transfer roll and its holder can be readily withdrawn from the machine, and when the transfer roll l3 has the correct angular position in its holder, said transfer roll can be placed in its operative position in the machine, shown in dotted lines, Fig.2, during which operation the shaft M of the transfer roll will be automatically coupled to its driving shaft 29.

We have stated above that each ink r011 34 is positively driven at a surface speed the same as that of the corresponding type-carrying member.

For this purpose, the shaft 35 of each inking roll is connected to and is driven by a shaft 49 carrying a sprocket wheel 4| that meshes with and is driven by the sprocket chain I2, as best seen in Fig. 3. Each shaft 40 is rotatably mounted in bearings 42 that are mounted in a supporting bracket 43 that is supported by the corresponding stud 31, each bracket 43 having an arm or boss 91 through which the stud 31 extends. A detachable driving connection between the shaft 40 and the inking roll shaft 35 is provided so as to permit the ink reservoir with its inking roll to be readily removed from the machine or replaced therein. As shown in Fig. 4, one end 44 of the inking roll shaft 35 is fiat-sided and is adapted to enter a recess 45 with which the shaft 40 is provided. Situated in this recess are two parallel transversely extending pins 46 between which the flat-sided portion 44 of the ink roll shaft 35 is received. The shafts 40 and 35 are thus coupled together so that they rotate in unison, butthe shaft 35 can be readily withdrawn from its coupled engagement with the shaft 40 by a movement in the direction of the length of the shaft. It will thus be seen that by simply loosening the clamping screw 39 for either ink reservoir, said reservoir with its inking roll can be removed from the machine, and an ink reservoir can be installed in the machine again by simply mounting the ink reservoir on its supporting stud 31, and at the same time entering the end 44 of the shaft 35 into the recess 45 of the corresponding shaft 40,

We have stated above that each ink reservoir is suspended from its supporting stud 31 and that each supporting bracket 43 is formed with an arm 91 through which the said stud 31 extends so that each ink reservoir and the corresponding bracket 43 in which the driving shaft for the ink roll is mounted, are both suspended from the same stud 31. The body portion of each supporting bracket 43 is located in an opening 98 formed in the portion 8 of the frame, and each opening 98 is somewhat larger than the corresponding supporting bracket 43, as shown best in Figs. 4 and 5, so as to allow a slight swinging movement of the bracket about its supporting stud shaft 31. Each supporting bracket 43 is provided with two depending arms 99 and H10 which are located either side of a projection |0| extending from the portion 8 of the frame. The arm I09 has an adjusting screw 12 screw-threaded therethrough, the inner end; of which engages the earor projection lili, and a compression spring "l3 is located between said ear I0] and the other arm 99, said spring being held in place .by a positioning pin I04. By manipulating the adjusting screw I02, after the clamping screw is loosened, the supporting bracket 43 and the ink roll which is coupled thereto may be adjusted in an are having the stud shaft 31 as a center, thereby providing for adjusting each inking roll toward and from its type-carrying roll. This adjustment is desirable to accommodate any variation in the height of the type with which the type members are provided.

In order to keep the sprocket chain [2 under proper tension, we have provided a tensioning sprocket wheel H6 around which the sprocket chain [2 passes and which is mounted on a stud H1 carried by a bracket H8 that is pivoted to the frame 8 at H9. This bracket is acted on by a pulling spring :29, one end of which is anchored to the frame at I21, and the other end of which is connected to the hooked arm I22 of the bracket I I3. The tension of the spring tends to swing the sprocket wheel I I6 downwardly, and thereby the sprocket chain is held under a uniform and proper tension. This tensioning sprocket wheel also permits the adjustment of the supporting brackets 43 with their sprocket wheels H without subjecting the sprocket chain to undue tension or undue slackness.

While we have illustrated in the drawings one selected embodiment of the invention, yet we do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

We claim:

1. In a marking machine having a frame and a rotary type-carrying roll mounted therein and rotatable about a horizontal axis, the combination with a horizontal free-ended stud supported by the frame and extending parallel to the axis of the type-carrying roll, of an ink reservoir carried by said stud and removable from the free end thereof, said reservoir having an open side, an inking roll journaled in said reservoir, a supporting bracket also carried by said stud and situated between the ink reservoir and the frame, a shaft journaled in the bracket, means constituting a separable connection between said shaft and the inking roll, and means to rotate the shaft.

2. In a marking machine having a frame and a rotary type-carrying roll mounted therein, the combination with a free-ended stud supported by the frame and extending parallel to the axis of the type-carrying roll, of an ink reservoir suspended on said stud and removable from the free end thereof, said ink reservoir having an open side, an inking roll journaled in said reservoir, a supporting bracket also carried by said stud and situated between the ink reservoir and the frame, a shaft journaled in the bracket in axial alinement with the inking roll, means constituting a separable connection between said shaft and the ink roll, and means to rotate the shaft and thereby the inking roll.

3. In a marking machine having a frame and a rotary type-carrying roll mounted therein, the combination with a free-ended stud supported by the frame and extending parallel to the axis of the type-carrying roll, of an ink reservoir suspended on said stud and removable from the free end thereof, an inking roll journaled in said reservoir, a supporting bracket also carried by said stud and located between the ink reservoir and the frame, a shaft journaled in the bracket in axial alinement with the inking r011, means constituting a separable driving connection between said shaft and the inking roll, means to rotate the shaft and thereby rotate the inking roll, and means for adjusting both the supportin bracket and the ink reservoir angularly about the stud, thereby to adjust the inking roll toward and from the type-carrying roll.

CHARLES F. ROBBINS. DAVID F. PUTNAM. 

